Wednesday Words
To Go Where Your VisionPoints, a few inspiration points for you and your business.
You have to have doubts. I have collaborators I work with. I listen and then I decide. That’s how it works.
—Giorgio Armani
I was discussing blog strategy recently with a friend. Specifically, part of my strategy here, at the Maximum Customer Experience Blog. I don’t do blogging-about-blogging here, so we won’t go down that road, but the gist of what I said to my friend was: this is who I am. The way I treat my blog and my comment-section differs little from how I treat people face-to-face. I couldn’t keep up an image that wasn’t true to the core of “me” over the long haul—and I am in this, I hope, for quite a long haul.
People won’t always agree with me or my policies. Here or offline. I’m fairly open to differing opinions on how I should run this or any other venture.
But… I listen and then I decide. That’s how it works.
Know yourself. Listen with both ears and your whole heart, but never waffle once you’ve thought things out. Eff ‘em if they’re not with you. You’re the boss.
Go ahead, imagine your favorite restaurant or retail shop not knowing what they stand for or whether to be swayed by a nasty customer mood! If you’re the boss… what are you doing to your customers and your staff by not knowing yourself well enough to stay the well-planned course?
Grow and be well,
Kelly Erickson
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25 March 2009, 10:51 am
I agree. But I will stress one word you wrote:
Listen.
That’s something way, way too many people don’t do enough of, and when they do it, they just hear the noise. They don’t listen, they don’t think and they just put their foot down on their own opinion.
That, not good.
But someone who actively listens with an open mind and heart to all versions and sides and THEN takes a decision… ahh. That I like.
James Chartrand – Men with Pens’s last blog post…The Magical Whiteboard and the Fruits of Labor
25 March 2009, 2:01 pm
James,
Yep. You know the old saying, you have two ears and one mouth so you’ll listen twice as much as you talk. I try hard to live by that.
Sometimes I might not change my mind, eh friend? But I listen. I doubt myself, so I can be sure I know myself. I’m always learning.
Regards,
Kelly
25 March 2009, 4:10 pm
Oh I like this one Kelly. Once you figure out your own”Armaniness” , BE ARMANI. A little wiggle room for play, but still Armani.
Listening is vital, yes. But knowing what you know is too. Being able to direct that in all parts of a brand, is very much related to alignment. Trusting your own authority there. Flexibility also great, makes it breathe, but it still has to come back to being your Armani, Because after all, what are you doing if you are not doing that?
Janice Cartier’s last blog post…Oranges Go Here
25 March 2009, 6:25 pm
Piss on all that. Do what you want when you want and everyone else be damned.
Just kidding. Listening is key but you are right, you must stick to your guns. If you don’t then all you are doing is someone elses plan and you won’t commit to it.
Take me for example. I tease the hell out of Friar even though Brett asks me not to because it makes him cry. Especially when I make fun of his “paintings”. I listen to his Mom, but I continue to tease him anyway. I have commited to it.
Eyetea(se)guy
Eyeteaguy’s last blog post…What have you done for me lately?
25 March 2009, 6:38 pm
Janice,
Naturally, when Giorgio talks, Kelly listens.
Be Armani. I like that! Because you might say, “Sure, easy for him to say,” but how did it get easy for him to say? By doing it.
That’s all there is to it. Simple! Listen, learn, then live decisively.
Later,
Kelly
25 March 2009, 6:43 pm
Francis,
ROFL.
And true—if you bend and twist every time a new idea or a conflicting opinion comes at you, you aren’t living your own life. You have to know that making Friar cry is your mission, and after listening thoughtfully to Brett, you just have to stick with that.
Reminds me of a line from a Lou Reed song: “Self-knowledge is a dangerous thing. The freedom of who you are.”
Until later,
Kelly
25 March 2009, 10:29 pm
@Kelly
Oh, don’t listen to what that ol’ Eyeteaguy tells you.
He says he teases me but I don’t really give a flying fox fart. He’s trying to sucker Brett and Friar’s Mom into joining in, and now he’s trying to sucker YOU in. But no one really listens to him…we just humor him so he’ll keep quiet.
Actually, though, I do find Eyeteaguy’s input very useful. And I DO listen (like your Quote of the day says).
Whatever he suggests, or whatever his criticisms are…I just go ahead and take the OPPOSITE approach.
Works every time.
Friar’s last blog post…A slice of grease.
25 March 2009, 11:09 pm
Friar,
I’m blushing. I’d like to bleep part of that but you didn’t really say anything bleepable, you know?
Anyway, Francis is my Friar 2.0. Raw, honest, and wise under layers of… raw. And, you know… honest.
I’m totally “suckered in” by raw honesty. (There’s a blog post in there, if I want to coax it out.)
Humor Francis? I can humor anybody. Gets me into trouble, sometimes.
…
Interesting that all the commenters here today are people who I’d say really do know themselves so well that they can listen, be open, and still stay true to themselves. It’s strong-personality-day at MCE!
Until later,
Kelly
26 March 2009, 9:37 am
Frair not giving a flying fox toot. Hmmm, I heard from a very relable source that Friar had a good cry on Thursday over some cider. There, there dear, its all in good fun.
And I don’t sucker then in to teasing you, I just open the door, they walk right on in Wee Friar.
By going opposite you are playing right into my hands. That’s where I wanted you to go all along.
Heh, heh, heh.
Eyeteaguy
Eyeteaguy’s last blog post…What have you done for me lately?
26 March 2009, 4:01 pm
Francis,
No need for crying in cider. If you two can laugh at (laugh with?) everything and everybody, then it’s only right if “everybody” comes back at you, yes?
But I keep having to duck. Hm.
Off-topic on a Wednesday post again. Oh, dear.
Later,
Kelly